


One Million Bullets

by moistkween



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-19 12:28:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19974085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moistkween/pseuds/moistkween
Summary: SOULMATE AU. Cut off one head and two more will grow...Hydra is forcing its way through the cracks and trying to make a comeback in a big way. Willow Lewis is just trying to live her life under the radar and make it through living with incredibly quirky superheroes among other things. (I'll fix the summary later, haha. Just trying out Soulmate AU. R&R)





	1. Broken Glass

August in New York. A break from the blistering sunshine July usually brought. Some would say the sunshine was nice, but Willow wasn't one of those people. Having been born and raised in Washington state, a place that was known for its never-ending rainy days and cool weather, she was, still, not accustomed to the heat or the humidity. After nearly four years you think she would have adjusted but the twenty-four-year-old was a Washingtonian through and through. Not that it really meant anything anymore, she could never go back home. There was nothing left for her there.

Growing up, Willow was born into a family with a sister four years older than her, a loving father, and a cynical mother. Despite their differences, her parents had somehow ended up being soulmates. Literally. Whether it was to be kind or cruel was still unknown, but fate liked to play match maker amongst other things. When people are born, they are marked with the first words their soulmates will ever say to them. Sometimes the words were better than others, regardless, when one met their soulmate it was said to be life-altering. As if everything that happened in life made sense and was meant to lead one right into the arms of their best suited partner. Despite meeting them, the option to move forward with them was just that, an option. Of course, it was encouraged, and it was pretty unheard of for people to pass up the opportunity of true love, but some did, with a good reason probably. Her parents had gone along with fate's little game and things seemed to work out well for them.

Things were normal for the most part for the family, summer vacations, dinners together, movie nights, and so on. Just average family things. It wasn't until Willow turned seven that everything changed. It was when she became aware, she wasn't like everyone else. She wasn't like her family. She was different. The first flare up of her abilities had been at home but was alarming regardless. Her father and sister had been there to witness the fiasco and once her mother found out was when things slowly began to unravel. Distance grew between Willow and the role model women in her life while her father urged her to develop her abilities. Though in the end it proved useless…

There wasn't much for her anywhere, really. To say things had been bumpy in her life was an offensive understatement, but she was getting by. After arriving in New York four years ago she had been left with no options but to take to the streets, surviving on little food and no shelter with top priority being to keep under the radar. Eventually she found her way around homeless shelters until she managed to get a job, then another, and one more just to be safe. Even after being employed, she couldn't just get her own place right away. She saved everything she made for three months before getting a shitty studio apartment in Manhattan, but it was home. Until she needed to move again, something she was saving up for. It was time to jump state, it was way overdue. With how many people lived in New York it just seemed like the perfect place to blend in. Something she had gotten very good at.

Aside from working three jobs, the young woman took self-defense classes. Something she also prioritized.

"Alright, everyone gather round," A man, on the taller side, lifted his hands gesturing everyone to come together.

Pulling her ponytail tighter atop her head she used the towel around her neck to wipe her face of sweat as she turned from the punching bag to stand somewhere amongst the small group of people. The facility was popular, but they held smaller classes to ensure everyone was getting what they should out of the classes. It was appreciated, especially when she began just a year ago. She wasn't going to lie though; she still didn't feel totally confident she could take on any attacker. Her best chance was running but that could only take her so far. Dabbing her face again she reached up and grabbed the other end of the towel, hanging onto it as she peaked over heads to see the instructor.

"Can everyone hear me?" He asked arms still raised. When he got a unanimous yes, he clapped his hands together, a smile on his tanned face. He'd obviously spent a lot of time in the sun this summer. His teeth were dazzling in comparison to his darkened skin. "Great! So, I just want to start off with saying you guys did great today, I saw a lot of you really pushing yourselves." His eyes met Willow's briefly, and she shifted uncomfortably, averting her gaze to a poster above the massive mirrors that lined the gym walls. "Some of you may already know, but this week is my last week here." The room broke out in a series of 'awe’s', excluding the long-haired brunette who was still looking at the poster above the man. "It's been a privilege to work with you all, I'll try to pop in whenever I'm in town. Just, do me a solid and kick the next guy's ass. Show him how badass I've made you." Laughter filled the room and he soaked it in like a sponge. If the spoke was full of grease, sweat, and testosterone. "I'll see all of you on Friday."

Everyone clapped and went up to the man to say their early goodbyes. In all fairness, he was a temp from the beginning. Just helping the last guy apparently due to some family emergency so everyone should have known this time would come. It also didn't make sense to her for anyone to be sad over their trainer leaving. It wasn't a one on one class. Maybe she just didn't care as much because she didn't really care for him. It wasn't as if he was a bad person, he just gave off weird vibes.

Turning away from the group she started unraveling the wraps from around her hands, moving to the spot on the wall where she left her messenger bag. There was a locker room, but she felt more comfortable being able to keep an eye on her things. It also spared her the awkward shuffle of getting into the room, around people to get to the locker, then shuffle back out. If she could just grab and go, things worked out much better. It wasn't even that she didn't like anyone there, she just didn't trust them. That was fair in her mind.

Kneeling by her bag, she flipped the flap open and put the wraps neatly in the corner before standing, adjusting her grey work out jacket as she turned.

"Excuse me, miss?" A low, gentle voice startled her as she looked up and took a quick step back.

She was about to apologize for potentially walking into the person, but her eyes took in the sight of two men, both in baseball caps, bills facing forward. Raise the red flags now. Glancing back her eyes caught the intense gaze of Evan, the temp instructor, unknowingly looking like a sheep fallen victim to wolves. That seemed to be enough for him to make his way over. Shit. Turning her head back to the two men, her eyes hovered on the darker haired man for a moment, not familiar with his face like the poorly disguised Captain.

The weariness in her expression was evident and the blonde tried to hurriedly assure her. "We aren't here to hurt you, please stay calm. I'm Steve," he said gesturing to himself before his hand pointed to the brunette who was eying everyone in the room. "This is Bucky." He paused, gauging her reaction before continuing. "Can we have a word outside?"

At this point her heart was starting to pick up pace, beating against her chest like someone was knocking urgently. Piercing blue eyes broke down the tiniest movements made, waiting for one of them to make sort of attack. The reasonable part of her brain tried to assure her she was wrong. This man was an Avenger, they did good things for people. So why would they want to hurt her? Perhaps her past was finally catching up to her. Fight or flight was brewing, and she knew either was bound to draw some sort of unwanted attention. "I think you've made a mistake…" Her voice was soft, feminine, and blended in well with noise around them.

"There's no mistake, Ms. Lewis." He said pulling his cap down a little further seeing eyes peaking over. "We need to go though. I understand your hesitance, but this is urgent."

"Everything okay here?"

Willow jumped in surprise as all eyes focused on the newcomer, Evan. He kept his eyes locked on the two men, a tight smile on his face, before glancing at Willow, eyebrows lifting as he smiled further.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?"

There was a new tension in the air that had Willow taking a small step away from the instructor and closer to the brunette. She glanced towards the door which was just a few feet behind the Captain and his friend—partner—associate—whatever he was. It really didn't matter…or it shouldn't. He hadn't said a single word but something in her was waiting to hear what he sounded like, a small part, however, majority was saying to run like hell and don't look back. He seemed notice her gaze and stared at her with an intensity she hadn't experienced before, giving a small shake of his head that left her legs feeling full of sand.

"They were just asking where the instructor was," Willow finally chimed in. "They…want to sign up. I was just telling them about the class." She offered, hoping he'd buy it and steer them elsewhere so she could hurry and go.

Evan clapped his hands together, "Fantastic. I can take you guys over to the desk and explain what we offer."

"Great. I'll get going. Thanks, Evan." She said with a wave as she moved towards the door already planning her next steps in her head. She needed to rush home and pack everything she absolutely needed and get out of the city tonight. There was no other option. If they found her at her self-defense class, there was no doubt they knew where she lived to and mostly likely where she worked. She couldn't risk being caught by surprise at any other venue, it couldn't happen. Had she been careless? Her mind raced as she tried to piece together the last few weeks, but it was all the same. It just didn't make any sense.

Passing the large windows that allowed passerby's to peer into the facility she heard a loud pinging sound and paused, looking out the windows trying to figure out what the hell it was. But before she could see the cause her body was being torn from its spot, feet leaving the ground just as the sound of glass shattering rang in the air. She instinctively covered her face, not unaware of the pair of strong arms around her, keeping her head ducked and body shielded with their own as they flew back onto the mats of the facility. Screams filled the shocked silence and people started rushing out of the building as men in black came rushing in.

The arms around her quickly let go, moving to put hands on either side of her face, examining her, "Hey, look at me. Look at me."

Then the world stopped.

Her eyes shot open meeting focused grey one's. No. Fucking. Way. Could life think of a worse time? Seriously. Tears sprung to her eyes, "I see you." The previously silent man, this Bucky fellow's eyes widened just as hers had. It was real. They were it. What a terrible, terrible situation to discover one's soulmate. Really, any situation would have been bad for Willow considering she never wanted to meet hers. Ever. The potential pain associated with knowing seemed to outweigh any good that could from it. But she couldn't fight what fate sprinkled down over them. Her heart swelled but her mind went reeling. This couldn't be happening.

Without even blinking they were up on their feet and she was being pushed behind him as he turned sending a solid punch to a man's chest which knocked him off his feet and into another man. "Stay behind us." He called out to her taking down another man.

The only thing that brought her back to reality was seeing the violence unfold before her. If she thought her heart was racing before, it was damn near threatening to burst from her chest at this point. Steve had lost his hat at this point and was taking out several of the men who seemed to have flowed in like water. There had to be a least twenty men and somehow two men were bringing them down easier than what seemed humanly possible.

"Marie!" She heard a familiar voice call out to her and she looked around for the body it belonged, spotting Evan coming towards her from the side. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"What about them?" She asked glancing over to the dark-haired man, concern forming in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to leave him, but maybe that was the perfect reason to. Having ties to someone was dangerous…

"They can clearly handle themselves! Let's go!" He reached out to her, gripping her forearm much tighter than necessary, enough so that she jerked it away in response.

A frown formed on her face and she took a step back, "I'm staying." Now that she thought about it. Why weren't the men trying to get to them? Everyone who got in their way seemed to be taken down right away, which was pathetic considering the type of venue they were in, it just proved the class was worthless. Great. The feeling of unease crept into her once more as Evan's expression darkened.

"Fucking idiot." He growled as he reached for her again, but she stepped back. He laughed in response. "You really want to fight your way out?"

No. Not at all. He was huge in comparison to her slender frame. He was rippling with muscles without being the type who did too much and then couldn't put their arms down all the way. She shakily rose her fists and prepared herself. It made sense that he was bad. He put gel in his hair just to workout. If that wasn't a red flag, she didn't know what was.

"Aw, look at you," He said in mock joy, "You try now." He leaned forward as he rose his fists whispering to her, "Hydra will be so proud."

Just the word alone sent her mind spiraling and frozen as memories flooded her brain. Her chest tightened as panic swallowed her in one gulp. A tremble broke out all over her body and she started to struggle for each breath. In her shocked state a fist connected with her cheek and sent her to the ground, being enough to get her to refocus, but the panic was ever present. She couldn't go back. She refused. Death would be much sweeter. Shaking her head as the pain tried to sober her up, she pushed herself up off the ground and moved back just in time to avoid a knee to the stomach. He continued to throw punches and kicks which she sloppily evaded, taking a hit every so often, crying out as a kick sent her back into the glass, her head cracking against it. The haze came quickly after, starting with her motor skills and creeping to her vision.

The outline of Evan crouching in front of her had her blinking in a futile attempt to clear the fading consciousness. "Hail Hydra."

Just before her vision went, a blur flew past her and warm arms enveloped her.


	2. No Brakes

Glowing blue eyes snapped open and a wavy-haired brunette shot up from the bed she had been laying in. Her heart was pounding as was her head, eyes were searching the room for any sign of movement but even in finding none, she was brought no comfort. This was not her room. The back of her head was throbbing, but she paid little attention to that as she tore the blankets away from her body, still covered in her gym clothes minus the shoes. That was a good sign, but still explained nothing. Stepping onto the carpeted ground she was quickly swallowed by fear. Her eyes faded to their usual vibrant blue as she struggled to breath. The last words she heard were ones she dare not speak aloud and now they had her. They'd finally managed to track her down and were going to pick up where they left off. She fell to her knees, one arm on the ground supporting her weight while the other clutched her chest trying to futilely calm her pounding heart. She couldn't go through that again, pain jolted through her body and she drew a ragged breath trying desperately to fight the memories. Four long years of struggling and pain all to be found again.

"No."

Willow clenched her fists and looked up to the door, if she had to, she would fight her way out. Wasn't that what they wanted anyway? Well, she would give it to them. Using the bed for support, she stood from the ground, legs shaking but brows furrowed with determination. Taking a deep breath, she moved towards the door in quiet, long strides. Even if she had to run out of the building with no shoes on, she would, that was the very least of her worries. Reaching for the handle, she hesitated a moment, mentally preparing for the onslaught that awaited her. This time she wouldn't hold back. Ripping the door open she glanced to her left and right and decided to go right, where there was less light. She figured it meant less people. Sprinting down the hall she kept her eyes focused and her arms swung in good form by her sides. She didn't even have time to notice the interior of the building, which was the opposite of how she would remember it. It hardly mattered. Seeing the hall split off to the right and left she turned to go right again only to slide to a stop, nearly falling back as she almost ran into two men who were just a surprised as she was.

The darker skinned man spoke up first, "Hey, what's the—wait!"

Before he even finished his sentence, she had turned to go the other direction, picking up pace as she dashed down the long hall. She could hear footsteps behind her but if she could outrun them, she could save her strength.

"Stop running! We are—" She felt a hand on her right shoulder and without missing a beat she grabbed the hand with her left before turning to the side and planting her feet firmly on the ground as she used her weight to throw him over her shoulder. He flew in front of her before landing on the ground a couple feet away. She didn't stop to watch, she ran again, jumping over the fallen man who seemed more stunned than injured and she burst into a lit-up room only pausing when she realized it was a kitchen and just a few steps down was a living room. Wide eyed with adrenaline she tried to make sense of what she was looking at. This wasn't right. This place wasn't a makeshift prison. It was a home. Glass windows stretched across the room that gave a beautiful view of the city. The sound of a motor humming stirred her from her thoughts, and she snapped from her thoughts moving over to the counter and grabbing a knife from the block, picking the largest one. Her eyes scanned the room for an exit, and she spotted an elevator a few feet away. Moving to it quickly she pushed the buttons to go down repeatedly, as if it would make it go faster. Hearing footsteps again she glanced back, waving her hand at the entrance and a sheer energy covered the entrance.

When the light turned off and the doors began to open, she reached her hand in trying to force it open faster when she caught sight of someone inside. She took a few steps back and held the knife up with two hands as the doors opened fully but seeing who it was, she lowered it for a moment. The scruffy brunette kept his hand on one side of the doors to keep it from closing, eyes fixed on hers.

"What the hell is going on here?" She asked through her teeth. Unshed tears burning her eyes as the knife grew unsteady in her shaking hands.

Bucky rose one hand up, slowly stepping out of the elevator before raising the other. "You're at the Avengers Tower," he spoke slowly, moving closer to her cautiously. "You're safe." He reached towards her, "Willow, you're safe."

Her brows furrowed in confusion, "What? What'd you call me?" For the past four years she had been going as Marie, she hadn't introduced herself as Willow to anyone.

"Willow, that is your name, isn't it?"

She nodded slowly watching him carefully as she reached for the knife, his hand slipping into hers, gripping the handle. She didn't fight him, everything in her was screaming that she could trust him, her anxiety was just urging her to think differently. Once the knife was in his hand, he tossed it aside in hopes to put her at ease as well. A moment passed with either of them saying anything. A soft 'ping' broke the silence and Willow drew a deep breath, eyes shifting over to the elevator again and backing away slowly. The first thing that popped into her mind was that he had tricked her, stalling just so more people could come for her but when the doors open, she was greeted by a familiar face. A stranger. But a familiar face. Two—actually.

"Sleeping beauty is awake I see." The said billionaire as he glanced to his left, "Out for a midnight snack?"

Steve stepped from behind him, "Not now, Tony." He said in a hushed tone as he glanced between his old friend and Willow. "You passed out at the gym." He explained, "We took you here to keep you safe and felt you deserved an explanation before we make any moves." The fear showed clear on her face. Muffled shouts could be heard from the entry way and he glanced over to Clint, Sam, and Natasha all standing behind a wall of energy. He gestured towards it, "Would you mind?" He spoke politely.

Willow followed his nod and let out a small gasp realizing what she had done. It was so very; very rare she ever used her gifts. If she did, it was usually in her own home and induced by her emotions but, again, it was a very rare occurrence. "Um…" She glanced over everyone before tapping fingers on her legs, "Would you," she looked away before making eye contact again, gesturing for them to look away as well.

"You mean we can't see the trick to the magic?" Tony said in mock disappointment. Willow's expression went dull and she looked away earning a sigh from Tony. "Okay, alright, we're turning."

When the all turned their backs, Willow rose her hand quickly before bringing it back down in one smooth motion, the energy dissipating in the same instance. The other's trickled into the room but didn't get too close.

"Anyone else get their ass handed to them?" Clint asked sounding like he'd been laughing for some time.

Tony perked up, turning back around as did Steve and Bucky, "What's that?"

Natasha was grinning as well, "Sam, got put on his back."

"Drop it," Sam said obviously annoyed there had been witnesses to the incident.

Willow brought her hands to her chest, fidgeting with her fingers as her heartbeat quickened in pace as more strangers filled the room. "I…I'm sorry." She offered to Sam. Though, in her defense, she thought she'd been kidnapped by the bad guys. Anyone else would have reacted the same.

Bucky's elbow met Steve's side in a casual brush seeing Willow growing increasingly uncomfortable. Steve cleared his throat, "Now that everyone is here," he paused, "Except, Dr. Banner, let's get to it." He said looking to Willow. "I'm sorry for how everything played out, it wasn't how we intended. "I'll get to the point. Hydra wants you." He saw her body stiffen and a tremble start in her limbs, "We got to you first." He assured. "Thanks to some help we managed to hack into their system, and we found a list, it wasn't very long, but you were at the top for extraction and we couldn't let that happen."

"Why?" It came out as a whisper, but he still heard it, the room was near silent.

"Because of what you can do."

She shook her head facing turning up in sorrow, "No. I mean—I can't even control it! Why? Why would they—I was there—I"

Steve held up his hand, "Take a breath, we're going to keep you safe. We can train you, teach you how to use your abilities so you can protect yourself."

"No. I don't want that."

"We could use your help though," Tony chimed in. "We can't just keep you here forever. We have to act. Weasel out Hydra and shut them down. We've seen what you can do, just a little and you could help other people while keeping yourself safe. Sounds enchanting, no? Feel like I'm in a fairy tale most days. Think about it kid. You'll be staying here regardless, well, not here. We'll take you to the Avengers training facility where our other two teammates are currently—point is, might as well help since you're hear and what's the harm in learning how to control your goods?"

Did he have a point? She didn't want him to. She didn't want him to be right. "I don't even want these powers. I've spent years trying to suppress them. Why would I want to undo that?"

Tony shrugged, making a face, "We can't always get what we want. But we get what we need. That's how the song goes, right?" He looked to Steve who shook his head, hardly amused. "Look, I don't want this hole in my chest, just like Sir Buck doesn't want a metal arm, or Brucey wishes he could stub his toe without turning green. Do you get what I'm saying?" Willow shook her head and he sighed. "There's no point ignoring it, it's there, whether you like it or not. Learn how to control it so it doesn't control you, plain and simple. Am I speaking English? I am, right?" He looked to Steve again before raising his eyebrows and moving into the kitchen to rummage through cupboards.

"He has a point," Bucky finally said, hating that he agreed, especially after being called, 'Sir Buck'. "It's obviously your choice, we won't force you to do anything, but you could help a lot of people. Hydra," he nearly spat the word, "Is planning something lethal. You should at least learn how to fight in case things get bad." He locked his eyes with her, and she felt compelled to nod her head, his shoulders seemed to relax at that, and he gave a nod.

"Look, it's late, why don't you sleep on it? You have time to decide." Steve finally said. "If you need anything all of us are here to help."

Willow glanced around to see everyone's faces before nodding.

"Okay, let's get you back to bed."

All Willow could do was nod, she didn't trust herself to speak any longer, she didn't even trust these people. Her eyes fell on Bucky once again. He seemed to trust them. Did that mean she should? No. They were the Avengers though. They saved New York amongst other things. They were the good guys…When Steve offered to have someone walk her back, she politely rejected before ducking her head down and passing everyone to get back to the room she had woken in. Maybe she could just stay in there forever, that sounded ideal.


	3. Space Between

The next day came and went and much to Steve's dismay, Willow had remained in her room. It wasn't something they could force on her, joining the team. If they had to keep her out of Hydra's grasp some other way, so be it, but ideally, she would be willing to join up and help. Day two was upon them and the team had already been about for breakfast, but Steve and Bucky remained, talking casually for the time being. The soft click of a door closing caught their attention, however, and they both looked to the opening of the kitchen, then back at each other. Steve saw his friends jaw clench and he lifted his head a bit to catch his eye.

"It'll be fine, Buck." He assured.

Bucky sighed and relaxed his shoulders. His nerves had been a little on edge after everything that occurred. He knew he could have gone and talked to her the previous day, but she had a big pill to swallow, he had wanted to give her space despite the desire to be around her.

Just at the entrance to the kitchen a head slowly peeked in before disappearing. A deep breath being taken could be heard before the brunette rounded the corner, cautiously. Both men looked in her direction and she gave a hesitant wave in a silent greeting as her voice betrayed her.

"Good morning," Steve greeted, "Are you feeling alright?"

Willow gave a small nod, "I'm okay," she spoke softly as she approached the table, reaching a handout towards a chair. "May I?"

"Of course, take a seat. Are you hungry?" Steve imagined after spending all day in her room the previous day, she had to be starving.

As she sat down her lips tightened and her eyes shifted to the side briefly before shaking her head, "N-no, I'm okay."

Bucky chimed in now, "How's your head?"

Without thinking, Willow reached up and touched the back of it as she answered, "It's better." Taking a deep breath, she put her hands in her lap, head down as she spoke, "I've thought about what you said." She started. "I…" Her voice shook and she took a moment to compose herself. Her heart was beating all too quickly in her chest. She was sure about her decision though, spending the entire day having thought about it. Everything she'd done after slipping from Hydra's grasps had been for her father and she was sure he'd want her to do this too. To help people. "I'll join."

Bucky glanced to Steve before his eyes focused back on Willow, watching her carefully, "No one is forcing you. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Willow's eyes left her lap and met his, her heart fluttering in her chest and making her inhale deeply. Just being in the same room as him made it feel as if gravity was trying to push them together. Was it the same for him? "I know. I know that. But…if they're after me anyway and other people...I should be fighting too. I don't want anyone else to…" Her voice broke and she shook her head, tears stinging them, but she fought the urge to let any fall. "I can't control them well and I probably don't have the skills required to qualify for this so…"

Steve shook his head, "We aren't expecting anything. We can train you to protect yourself first, that's most important right now." He glanced down a moment before looking back at her, "Willow, I know this isn't easy. Any of this. But like I said, we are all here for you. If you need anything. You can choose who you train with, though Wanda may be best when it comes to your gifts and just let us know if anything gets overwhelming, we can slow it down."

Willow nodded her head, "I understand but I don't think H—" a rush of heat followed by a tremor shook her body, "They won't wait for me to be ready and I don't want to be given the time to change my mind. I'm ready whenever you are." If they took things too slowly and she felt she couldn't handle it, the chance of her backing out seemed greater. She had to dive in headfirst, face her fears. "I've spent the last four years, hiding. Trying to stay under the radar and be as normal as I possibly could. I don't want to live the next four locked away. Not again." If they could get rid of Hydra, she wouldn't have to worry any longer. She could make a life for herself, try to start new.

"We'll get started after you get cleared for that concussion." Steve said, impressed by the girl's courage. "Also, after we get some food in you." A smile spread on the blondes’ face as he stood from the table. "Pancakes okay?"

"Oh, I can get it myself, you don't have to," She said quickly standing from the table, almost panicked.

Steve's brows furrowed and he raised a hand, "It's no trouble, take it easy."

Her eyes followed him a moment, anxiety trying to shake her. Bucky leaned forward, "Willow," he frowned, trying to figure out what was stirring her reaction. "Relax," he took even breaths, knowing that it often triggered a response in others to do the same. "It's just breakfast. You shouldn't be moving around too much with a head injury." There was a strange sense of familiarity when he spoke to her, like they'd known each other for a while when that was obviously far from the truth.

She pulled the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth as she sat down trying to calm herself down. She looked to Bucky and gave a nod, "Sorry," The feeling wasn't passing, "I'm okay." Yeah, it was just breakfast, but she didn't want anyone to go out of their way to do things for her. She didn't want to be a burden. She didn't want to put somebody off and have them wind up being angry with her.

"Hey, if you want, I can help you with your training…"

Willow's brows rose, "Are you really okay with that? I-I really don't know much; you saw…did you? Maybe you didn't. In the gym…"

"I saw enough." He said placing his forearms on the edge of the table, long sleeves and gloves as if he was prepared to leave the tower. "But, honestly, starting from scratch would be easier, if you're okay with that?"

She nodded her head, "Whatever you think is best."

"You're in good hands," A plate appeared around her and she jumped, looking over to an apologetic Steve, "Didn't mean to startle you."

"No, no, it's fine. It's okay." Her eyes drifted over to the plate he set down in front of her and she tried to reign in her eagerness. She was hungry, starving. Because her power was energy based, she had to consume more in order to keep it up. "Thank you." Picking up the fork she went right into the food, feeling a little awkward being the only one eating but taking solace in the fact she didn't have to eat by herself. After swallowing the first bite, she spoke up, "If possible, can I be seen for my head today?" She wanted to busy herself as soon as possible.

Steve nodded. "That's perfectly fine."

The remainder of the morning had been mostly uneventful, after Willow had finished eating she went with Steve and Bucky to go and see Dr. Banner in the medical bay so he could check her out for any lingering symptoms of a concussion, the main thing lingering being a mild headache. Much to her dismay, she was asked to spend one more day resting before getting started on any type of training. She didn't argue, of course, and went to her room to rest. The last thing she had wanted to be was alone with her thoughts. The idea of going back to Hydra was unbearable. She'd spent two years in one of their facilities, succumbed to inhumane treatment and torture. Just thinking about it in depth was often enough to send her falling down a dark tunnel with slick walls. Saying it aloud for everyone to hear seemed unbearable, but it wasn't a secret to them though their knowledge was limited about exactly what went on. Would she fill in the gaps for them? No. The twenty-four-year-old had grown accustomed to keeping things locked away, deep, deep down where light could not touch them. Even if they had a nasty way of coming back up all at once to bite her in the ass.

It just seemed as if life wasn't going to let up by this point. Sure, things were generally uneventful, but only externally. She couldn't remember the last time she truly, genuinely felt happy and if it wasn't for the memory of her father, she wouldn't have bothered carrying on. In her eyes, life was not worth living. Since she was seven, things seemed to maintain going downhill even if a path had to be paved to make it so. It was one pain after another, each considerably more excruciating than the last. It was like being constantly on the edge of drowning. Fighting the tides with all ones might just to stay above the surface and even then, waves crash over forcing you to breath in the burning, salty sea water. Willow couldn't find the joy in that but knowing her father would want her to carry on kept her going. She tried to stay above water, working, saving, learning how to defend herself, giving back to those who had just as little as she did, educating herself. She did it all for him. The one person who encouraged her to be who she was and own it. If only it was that easy. Seventeen years later after his death and she still couldn't seem to grasp that. Having no sense of self and just going through the motions and accepting the turbulent waters when they came, though, without grace. Surviving monstrous horrors came with a price, ones that laid heavily on the young woman's heart, leaving scars all over her heart, mind, and body.

Time steadily passed and she dozed in and out of sleep, apparently more tired than she thought. But a soft knock snapped her from her slumber quickly, she blinked the blur of sleep away and pushed herself up to a sitting position, "Y-yeah?"

"It's Bucky, can I come in?"

Looking around her room as if to make sure nothing was out of place, she spoke clearly enough for him to hear through the door, "Sure, come in." The handle tilted down and the door opened slowly, Bucky stepping in, a small smile on his face, "Oh, leave the door open, please. It's nothing personal." Nothing good happened behind closed doors.

"Oh, no problem." He let the door swing all the way open, before moving to a chair across from her bed and sitting down. "Sorry to bother you, I know you should be resting, but…I wanted to talk to you about us."

Willow knew this conversation was going to come around sooner or later, she just would have preferred later. "Okay." To deny him would be cruel, leave him wondering. No, best to get out of the way now.

"I can understand if you need time to think about, so don't feel pressured to answer, okay?" When she nodded, he continued, "I want to deepen our connection, Willow. I never thought I would meet, well, you, especially after so long," And all of the wrong he'd done, "I don't want to let you slip away." His steely-blue eyes pierced through her, a sadness lingering in the back of them that made her want to reach out to him.

A moment passed as she found the right words, "I don't know what I want. These…feelings are scary for me. I hoped I'd never…Love destroys people; I don't know if I could handle that." Like it destroyed her mother.

Bucky's shoulders fell a little, but his expression remained the same, hopeful, "It's different for me too, Willow." Relationships were the absolute last thing on his mind the past seventy years and just in the last two he had started feeling like there was hope for one. "Just know that I have no intentions of hurting you. Ever. I'll protect you."

The look in his eyes gave her no room to question the sincerity. Was this something she could honestly go through with? The feelings were already there, and she knew they would stay. What would a happy relationship be like? What would being happy feel like? "There's a lot wrong with me…" Maybe he wouldn't like who he saw if they did try? How much would that hurt?

A humorless scoff escaped him, "Join the club." They all had problems. "We can go as slow as you need, Willow. Just, think about it?" When she gave an earnest nod he smiled, "Thank you." Of course, he was hoping she said yes, but he was preparing himself for disappointment. He could tell she was struggling, and he didn't want to add to that, but if he could help her through it, the offer was there. "I'll let you get back to sleep."

She waved to him as he departed, trying a small smile to bring some reassurance, knowing waiting was bound to make one anxious. When he closed the door, she fell back into her pillow, pulling the covers over her head. Couldn't someone else decide for her? If she could be honest with no possibility of a negative consequence, she did want to try. But the chance of things not going well seemed to outweigh the potential of things going right. Maybe that was anxiety speaking, she didn't know. She just wanted to be careful and protect herself.

With a sigh, she pulled the blankets back down and closed her eyes. She still had time to think about it and she would take that time.  
.xxx.

The following day, with the Doctors permission, Willow had prepared herself for her first day of training. Nerves were killing her, for more than one reason. Her and Bucky's talk loomed over her like a dark cloud, despite him telling her not to feel pressured to answer, she still felt it. There was also the fact they were training together, she wanted to do well even after a year of self-defense classes she still froze when a real fight took place. How would she get past that?

The training room was just a few floors below the living space, and she had showed up a bit early. Or so she thought. Stepping into the brightly lit room, her eyes fell on Bucky, who was looking out a window near a set of weights. Hearing the door open he turned in her direction, a small smile on his lips, "You made it."

"Didn't want to stand you up." A coy smile formed. Clearing her throat, she pulled her ponytail tighter and fixed the long-sleeved black shirt she wore, a white check mark on the center. Long black work out pants, that faded into grey below the knee and white shoes tied tight. Around her left wrist a black band she always wore rested. "What's on the agenda?" Was that weird to say?

"We'll start with blocking." He nodded his head to the side of the room where the floor had padding.

Her eyes followed and she started to move in that direction, trying not to fiddle with her clothes too much, but failing. "Blocking…"

Bucky could hear the weariness in her tone. Two years ago, before the Sokovia Accords he wouldn't have paid that any mind, but with everything said and done and him having had time to adjust and heal he was able to reconnect with people. "Does that not work for you?" It was okay if it didn't, but he was curious as to why. She was obviously uncomfortable, he could see it the way her breathing picked up, the uncertainty in her eyes.

"No, no, it's okay." She bit her lip a moment, "It's fine. Um. I stretched upstairs already…so, that."

"Great." She came ready, he was glad for that. "Okay, with blocking it's more of a counter-offense than a defense. You block the hit, then fire back right away. At the gym, you got stuck protecting yourself and that happens, it's nothing to beat yourself up over, alright? So, I want you to come at me, I'll block, and come back at you a few times, okay? Then we'll switch roles."

Her brows furrowed together in concern, "You…want me to hit you?"

"You don't have to make contact, whatever you're comfortable with." He took off the jacket he was wearing, revealing a black short sleeved shirt paired with black cargo pants and combat boots. "I can take a hit." And a lot of pain. When her eyes fell to his left arm in stunned silence, he watched her carefully. It was a reaction he had grown accustomed to but watching her take in the sight had him a bit nervous. Would she reject him?

"Are you okay?" She sounded uncertain.

His brows rose in surprise. Was he okay? He couldn't help but smile, "I'm fine. Happened a very long time ago."

With a meek nod she took a deep breath and let it out, "I-I'm ready." She rose her fists, but her confidence was lacking.

"They teach you about breathing techniques at that place?"

"Uh, yeah, a bit. Slow breathing to stay relaxed and exhale with your hits?"

He titled his head to the side back and forth a moment, "Pretty close. Slow breathing with slow movements, fast breathing with fast movements. Trick with fast breathing is to inhale slowly still, and exhale in spurts, if that makes sense."

She nodded her head, "Yeah, I think it does."

"Alright, come at me."

Taking a few steps towards him she moved slowly, throwing a pathetic punch, one Bucky didn't bother blocking. There was no strength behind it, he hadn't even moved as it hit his shoulder. She looked confused, "You didn't block."

"I didn't need to. Don't worry about hurting me. Go for my body, if you hit my shoulder full force there is a better chance of you hurting your hand than me," Unless she had strength in her like Steve or himself. "Throat, eyes, gut, soft spots. Here. Forget about punches. Just do whatever comes natural to you, okay? Kicks, head-butts, whatever." He chuckled when she cracked a smile, happy he could do that much.

Anxiety was rising. Maybe she wasn't going to be able to do this. Pushing the feeling aside she closed her eyes and threw her fist out only to feel something warm catch it. She opened her eyes to find a confused looking man. "Where were you aiming with your eyes closed?" His voice was playful which had her sighing in relief, despite the growing frustration. "Pretend I'm not me. I'm Hydra." Panic struck her at the word, but she reacted. Kicking her leg up at him, he was fast though, pushing it back down with ease. She used the other leg going to knee him in the stomach, but his hand met it before contact was made. "Good. Keep going." Clenching her fists tight she swung her right fist but hesitated halfway through lessening the blow and slowing enough that Bucky just side stepped the punch. Something in him said not to strike back after blocking as planned. Why was she holding back? A few minutes passed and she stuck to mostly kicking, struggling to land a strike with her fist.

When he saw her starting to tire, he offered a break and fetched them water bottles. He took a spot across from her on the mat, keeping his legs slightly bent outward so his arms could rest on them. He watched her a moment catch her breath before taking a drink from the bottle. How could he talk to her casually when she seemed as if she wanted to maintain some sort of distance? "How do you feel it's going?"

Putting the cap back on the bottle she glanced at him shyly, almost guilty, that answered his question. "I suck." She tried to make it sound like a joke but spoke too stiffly.

"You don't suck. You're just holding back." Her gaze fell and her lips tightened, and he couldn't stop the question now. "What's causing that?" A moment of silence passed, and he could tell she was struggling to get the words out.

"I've…" She looked over to him and he gave an encouraging nod, taking a deep breath she carried on, "I've just been…I've been hurt…a lot." She shook her head as if to shake memories away, "Even if someone is trying to hurt me, it's really hard for me to want to hurt them back."

Bucky felt his jaw clench. Who hurt her so badly? "Hydra?"

The back of her hand ran over each eye as tears stung them, but she nodded, "And then some."

He frowned now. Who else? An ex-boyfriend? A parent? A sibling? Who?

"I think that's all I can manage today," She said suddenly standing, "Sorry, but thank you. Tomorrow?"

He nodded, not fighting her abrupt end, "Tomorrow."


	4. Run

Over the course of the next four weeks, Willow continued to train with Bucky every day she was able, that being most days. Of course, some sessions were more difficult than others, but Bucky only pushed her if he thought she could overcome something. Still being cautious not to push too hard and have her move backwards instead of forwards. He would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed with her progress, some days she was still hesitant, while others she'd totally let go, he just wanted to get her to that point every time. There was also still the question of their bond hanging over both of them. He had patience, so the wait wasn't bothering him, he just hoped she wasn't stressing out about it. The time they spent together felt natural, there was no denying that, but she still held back. The fear of being hurt loomed over her and he wished she could see he wasn't the type. There was still a lot to learn about her, she usually shut down if her past was questioned so he learned not to bring it up. He could understand that.

It wasn't as if Willow wanted to keep him waiting. It wasn't test; it was just a big decision. It wasn't as if she had to weigh the pros and cons heavily. She liked him, those feelings had sprouted from the beginning though and not by choice, but after spending the last month with him, getting to know him and even his time in Hydra, she still could appreciate who he was. He was as he said he would be, patient. Granted, between him and Steve she didn't interact with many people. Coming out only when people were gone or sleeping to eat, feeling uncomfortable otherwise and maintaining her job as a bartender on the weekends.

If she had the gusto in the morning, she would talk to Bucky again about his proposition but knowing herself, she'd chicken out. That was neither here nor there, however. It was pushing 1 in the morning and everyone in the tower was asleep for the evening. August had come and gone, and September was bringing a chill as well as the evenings growing darker faster, messing with everyone's internal clocks.

Outside Willow's window, a soft pinging sound could be heard, but sleep was holding her tightly. Another sounded and her brows furrowed but she did not stir. It wasn't until the fourth she slowly opened her eyes. Thinking someone was trying to be funny but failing poorly. As she sat up from her bed, rubbing her eyes sleepily she glanced over to her window trying to find the source of the noise.

Suddenly, without warning a massive explosion shattered each large pane of glass in her room, sending shards flying everywhere. Any sleepy feeling that was there before was blown away as she screamed out, covering her face from the blast. She could feel quick nicks of pain across her forearms, but she hardly noticed as pure panic slammed into her. When the glass finally stopped blowing around and settled on the floor, she looked out the open holes that were once the windows, seeing an aircraft flying towards the tower. Not wasting a moment, she ripped the covers from her body and jumped out of the bed moving towards her door. Her mind couldn't even form a proper thought, all she could think was to run and fast, but a sharp pain in her heel had her falling to the ground into the chunks and splinters of glass. She cried out through clenched teeth, reaching back and pulling the shard from her foot, discarding it before standing up again. Pain seared with each step but there was nothing she could do for that. By her door laid a pair of white slip on shoes. Emptying them hastily of whatever glass could have possibly gotten in them she slipped them on whimpering at the pressure it applied to her right foot.

Pulling her door open she took off down the hall, adrenaline pumping through her veins, starting to act as an anesthetic to her foot. As she neared the end of the hall another blast came through the wall, knocking her off her feet, causing her to slide back several feet once she hit the floor. She coughed as the debris stirred up dust and created a cloud she couldn't easily see through. What the fuck was happening?! Instinct was the only way she was functioning at this point. Standing from the ground, she slipped on her own blood beneath her foot but somehow maintained her footing and sprinted down the hall where she had just come from.

"Ms. Lewis," F.R.I.D.A. Y’s voice called to her on the speaker overhead. "Mr. Rogers has requested you use the elevator ahead and get to the hanger on the 54thfloor." 

"What do I do from there?!" She ran into the kitchen attached to that living room she had gone to her first night there. Her eyes scanned the room quickly, making sure she was safe to continue. With a deep breath she pushed forward towards the elevator but the ceiling above her collapsed and she jumped back, away from the blocks of paved cement. She looked up in horror as men jumped down, guns in hand and pointed at her. Fear filled her so fully that for a moment her vision blacked, she stood frozen, staring at the men with the Red Skull insignia on their all black attire. When she heard a gun, cock is when vision returned to her eyes and she snapped out of her trance and took quick steps back, hands raised to her shoulders in case she needed to block. Feeling the steps behind her she started to walk down them, only making escape unknowingly more difficult.

"Hands all the way up!" One of the shouted. From the corner of her eye she could see more spilling in from the hall entrance she had just come from. Her exits were blocked. What was she going to do? A sudden masculine shout could be heard somewhere down the hall and the man pointed to Willow, "Tranq her, let's go!"

The sound of a gun going off made her flinch, a transparent blue sphere appearing around her, causing the tranquilizer dart to bounce off and onto the floor. Her eyes were wide with surprise, the cries in the hall were getting louder but she could hardly put any attention on that. "Fire!" She closed her eyes, hands still raised, as she prepared for the onslaught of coming bullets, praying the force field would stay up.

"Willow!"

Her eyes snapped back open as they landed on Bucky dropping down from the hole in the ceiling and onto the four soldiers blocking the elevator. "Bucky!" Without wasting a move, he grabbed one by the back of the collar and tossed him to the side, knocking him into two men, the other going to strike him but he blocked it with ease. She lowered her force field and took a step towards him, but her head jerked back as a fist flew in her path. Not given much time to recover she put her arms up taking the blunt of another blow. She could see more men pouring into the room from the hall and above. Where was everyone else?

To her right, a beam of light came through the ceiling, making a hole before disappearing, and the circular cut out fell and hit the armchair, crushing the wood inside and ruining its shape. In the moment she fell distracted, she felt a fist connect with her jaw and she stumbled back but stayed upright. Throwing her arms back up as another fist came, she drew in a deep breath as a rush of heat shot past her and the man was thrown off his feet by the same beam of energy that cut through the ceiling.

Looking over she saw Iron Man with his hand up. Just behind him swooped in Falcon, and the Captain who didn't waste a moment, tossing his shield across the room to knock down two soldiers, it somehow having ricocheted off one, and giving Bucky space to take down the soldiers that swarmed him without her realizing. Her heart sank to her stomach and she moved to him quickly, only to cry out as pain shot up her leg. Looking down at her foot the white slip on shoe she'd put on was almost completely red with blood. But she pushed past the pain and moved up the few steps towards Bucky, grabbing one of the soldiers by the back of the jacket with both hands and putting her weight into pulling him to the ground.

Bucky looked over to her, eyes scanning her at lightning speed, noting the redness along her jaw, the slow bleeding cuts along her arm, and pausing on her right foot. Punching the last soldier around him off his feet and onto his back before he reached out to Willow, grabbing her hand and pulling her behind him, using his free hand to pull out his gun, "We have to get you out of here." He pulled the trigger, hitting each target with precision. "Damn. They just keep coming."

The soldiers from the hall had poured in, these soldiers unarmed but looked prepared to fight.

This was getting out of hand. Pain was starting to sober her up from the rush of adrenaline she had, and fear was casting its shadow having her want to freeze and wait for everything to stop, but she knew she couldn't. "Just stay behind me," Bucky said keeping his distance and using the guns he had holstered to him. But behind him wasn't even safe. Feeling a tug on her hair, her head jerked back, and she whimpered in pain, taking several steps back to get her head to be upright again. Clenching her jaw, she turned towards the enemy and grabbed his shoulders, thrusting her knee forward and into his gut before tilting her head back and smashing her forehead down on his nose. A sickening crunch could be heard, and he dropped to the ground.

A month of training wasn't about to go to waste when it really mattered, she wasn't going to disappoint him like that. Her foot was killing her, but she couldn't avoid using it. She'd have to deal. Multiple opponents weren’t something they'd covered in depth, but she was going to go by her gut. "I can fight." She said as her back touched Bucky's. He responded by handing her a spare gun from his holster, something he knew she wasn't exactly comfortable using but it was them or her, and it wasn't going to be her.

Taking the safety off the gun she lifted it up with both hands, aiming before shooting, only hitting less fatal spots. Going for anywhere below the waist just to incapacitate them from fighting or being a problem. One more man dropped down from the ceiling and Willow aimed her gun at him only to hear the click of an empty clip. "Damn." She moved to the side as he charged at her, flipping the gun around and using the barrel to take the brunt of the blow from her fist. He hit the ground and she turned around taking the gun and throwing it with all her might at a man running in from the hall.

"That's not what they're for," Bucky said unable to fight the grin growing on his face.

"They are now-" A kick to the back of her legs had her falling back onto the hard ground. Before she could rise, a hard kick to the stomach had her rolling down the few steps to the living room. Her back met the couch, stopping her from sliding further. She shook her head as he jumped down in front of her.

Kneeling abruptly, he pulled her to her feet by her hair, "How's Colin?" The man rasped through the thick black mask.

Her eyes went wide, "What?"

Without answering he sent a punch to her stomach and she gasped outwardly as air left her. He released her hair and sent a fist to the side of her face, knocking her over the edge of the couch and onto the floor. She couldn't recover. How did this man know her father? Her very deceased father.

Bucky saw red. Without holding back, he punched a man in the chest, sending him flying backwards as he rushed towards Willow. Everyone had their hands full with multiple soldiers, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from getting to her. He knocked them down with ease, breaking whatever bone he had to if it meant them getting out of his way. The man had jumped over the couch now, pulling his foot back to kick Willow again, but Bucky wasn't about to let that happen. Grabbing the man by the back of the neck he threw him back into the steps, "Mother fucker." He growled turning back to him, raising his fist back and sending it cracking into the man's jaw, making him go limp. It wasn't enough though, he wanted to beat on him till there was nothing left but Willow needed help.

It was like she resorted back to being a scared teen sitting behind the door of her bedroom while her drunken stepfather beat down on it. She'd recovered enough to resort to blocking but that was all she could manage, fighting the desire to beg them to stop already. A metal arm shot past her and a firm hand grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back. A bright beam of energy shot past them and the room suddenly got quiet.

Everyone looked at each other and around the room to make sure no one was hiding. A soft sigh escaped most, and they seemed to relax. Tony landed in his suit and let the mask retract, "FRIDAY, scan the tower, are we clear?"

A tense moment passed before the feminine AI responded, "All clear, sir. I've contacted S.H.I.E.L.D as requested, agents are on their as we speak." 

Tony sighed, "Thanks. Oh, and let Dr. Banner know the green guy is not needed." He looked around at the damage done and groaned, "Can anyone else tell me what this? Say it with me: a mess." He kicked rubble aside, making mental notes on how to better reinforce his flooring.

Steve slipped his shield on his arm, walking towards the center of the room. "Is everyone alright?"

"No," Bucky answered, turning to Willow in the dimly lit room, "She needs to get to the med bay." He went to pick her up, but a loud sound rattled the windows in their frame, it sounded like a cannon going off.

"Sir! There is a missile headed for the tower.” The AI sounded alarmed as she spoke.

"Willow! Can you stop it?!" Steve turned to her; eyes wide.

Her eyes flashed over to the windows seeing the projectile speeding towards them. Stepping in front of Bucky and lifting her hands up quickly, shielding everyone, including herself, in force fields as the projectile crashed into the windows and exploded on impact. In an instant, her eyes began glowing from the exertion of power, the white completely disappearing as did her pupils, just leaving the icy blue color. Her hands cupped around the air as if she were grabbing something and all that could be seen was the transparent blue film surround the flames and smoke from the explosion, stopping the vast amounts of damage it was meant to cause. Her hands and arms shook with effort, jaw clenched tight as she struggled to contain the mass storm of fire and ash. Several moments passed as she fought for control, pushing the fire away from the building and into the night air where it dissipated. It wasn't until the smoke cleared that she allowed the force fields to disappear as well and she started to collapse but Bucky was quick to catch her, moving her over to the couch she'd been thrown over and helping her sit down.

His hands cupped her face, "Stay awake, Willow." He turned back to the three other men in the room, "Can we get Dr. Banner up here?" His voice held an urgent tone. Tony relayed the message to FRIDAY who then delivered it to Bruce. "Willow. Willow!"

((feel free to leave a comment/review if you have the time! Thanks for reading!))


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